Shall We Dance
by Sheyshen
Summary: Lucy is invited to a special mission hand picked by her crazy best friend, Natsu. In her excitement she decides to take a walk around town. After a run-in with some not-so-friendly people, Lucy gains a grumbling, but willing, companion for her mission, Laxus. Add the young Wendy into the mix, and let's just hope that the client doesn't knows what's coming.
1. Chapter 1

The sun began to set, painting the sky with a beautiful array of colors which gradually grew darker and darker. Large brown eyes drank in the display, a fluffy haired blonde leaning out of her window slightly, propped up on her elbows with her head cradled in her hands.

She sighed lightly before withdrawing and closing the window quietly as the cool air of night began to nip at her bare arms and face. She smiled slightly still looking out the window for a time before getting up off the bed she had been sitting on and making her way across the room to her desk. Pulling the chair out, she plopped herself down to work on her book for a time before she went to sleep. She clicked on the small desk lamp and began to leaf through the pages, scanning them for obvious mistakes as she went.

A note here and a scratch there, she made her way to the end of what she had completed so far. Writing was her love as much as reading and her guild were, and she took great pride in her work even though she let few see her incomplete book. She touched the pen to her chin thoughtfully glancing at the window for a moment before returning to her work.

A few hours flew by as she focused her entire attention on the task before her, only stopping as a long yawn forced its way out. Stretching, she set the pen down, gathering up the papers and stood up. Clicking off the light she slowly made her way to her bed, removing her tank top and pulling over a sleep shirt she had left handy on a side table. Pulling the blankets back on her bed, she sleepily snuggled into the warmth beneath. Sighing happily at the sudden heat she closed her eyes to sleep.

A mumble set her to alert, her eyes snapping open to look at the intruder in her bed. His pink hair was a mess and he was mumbling in his sleep, one arm jutting out and another clutching a small blue cat, who was also sleeping peacefully. The girl sat up quickly, letting out a short scream as she registered the intruder.

"Natsu!" She yelled, pushing him lightly. When he didn't respond she shook him, harder and harder until his eyes slowly opened to regard his bed mate.

"Oh..." He mumbled sleepily, "are you done writing Lucy?" He sat up slowly, rubbing his eyes and letting the sleeping cat slide down to the bed, where it rolled slightly mumbling about fish.

"What are you doing here in my house, Natsu? In my bed even?" Lucy squeaked this out, the surprise of her visitor fading quickly.

He smiled happily, cocking his head to the side as he spoke, "To see you of course!" He gestured to the desk where Lucy had been seated moments prior. "You looked so focused on that that we didn't want to bother you so we laid down here," Natsu patted the bed with his hand, "and I guess we fell asleep while we were waiting for you to be done."He spoke cheerfully and with a wide grin, oblivious to the serious face of his friend.

"Alright." Lucy nodded, accepting that as the reason behind how she had found the dragon slayer, "but that didn't answer why you're here." She crossed her arms, and raised an eyebrow at her companion, hoping he had a good reason to sneak into her room.

He smiled widely once more, "I found us a mission!" He spoke with even more cheerfulness than previously. His grin brightening further at each word he spoke, "your rent is due soon. And I thought that you'd want to go just us three. Like old times." He said the last while reaching down and rubbing the belly of the sleeping cat, "Happy picked out one he thought you'd like." He practically beamed at the celestial mage before him.

Lucy sighed, smiling at Natsu. "Thank you, Natsu." She grinned happily at him, blushing lightly at the fact that he thought of her, "what is the mission anyway?" She asked merrily.

He pushed himself up and leaned close to Lucy, reaching past her, and retrieved a piece of paper off of the bedside table. Handing it to her she read it, her smile slowly fading. Reaching the end of the page she looked up at her companion who was still smiling happily, if not sleepily.

"Are you sure about a mission like this?" She turned the paper so the text was facing him and pointed at the page. The mission described a rich folk who was throwing a party but had been receiving threatening letters and became concerned over the safety of his guests. He requested a pair of wizards to act as guests to the dance and to stop anyone who would threaten the event and it's participants. The event being described as 'couples only'.

"Of course! Why? Does it seem too difficult?" Natsu asked, his smile disappearing for a moment before returning full force. A blush tinted his face as he slowly realized what she was getting at, and only after she had tapped on the word 'couples' a few times. "We thought you would enjoy it since you like dressing up and stuff." He stammered this out averting his gaze slightly. "And the reward is enough to cover your rent all in one go. And we..." He began to trail off, then yawned loudly.

Lucy blinked quickly, her smile returning. She turned and placed the mission request on the table, then looked back at the mumbling and yawning boy. "I'd love to go." She smiled sweetly, and punched him lightly in the chest, giggling, "but you should get some sleep now." She sighed as Natsu nodded at her, yawning once more. "You can sleep here if you want," she smiled standing up and replaced her sleep shirt with her tank. "But I think I'm going to go for a walk!"

When Natsu began to protest, saying he could go home if she's that uncomfortable Lucy held up a hand to silence him, "I fear I'm far too excited about the mission to sleep at the moment," she smiled happily, "I think the cool air will help me sleep. And I won't be gone long."

Her companion nodded and snuggled back down on the comfortable bed, holding the sleeping Happy close. Smiling at the dragon slayer Lucy quietly exited her apartment and walked slowly down the street. She smiled happily, a light blush lingering on her face at the thought of her friends. She hummed quietly as he walked enjoying to cool clear night. 'I don't walk at night too often, it's a nice change,' she thought to herself smiling.

A sound made her stop. Footsteps approached behind her, multiple ones if she heard correctly. Sparing a glance over her shoulder she spied a group of clearly intoxicated individuals making their way towards her. Fear set in and she reached for her keys to find she had left them at home. Tsking at her forgetfulness she began walking, but at a quicker pace.

She hadn't known if they had seen her prior, but as she heard them start calling to her in less than flattering ways she made sure to pick up her pace. The group would not be denied, as they too approached her at quicker and quicker speeds. Unsure what to do, Lucy took a quick left down a nearby street, keeping her eyes on the men tailing her. She hadn't been watching where she was going and cursed quietly as she ran into a large body as soon as she had turned.

She would have fallen but strong arms caught her, holding her close until the figure was certain she was stable once more. Lucy looked up apologetically, fear still on her face. Before she could speak a deep laugh caught her off-guard, "What are you doing out walking the streets this late at night, Blondie?" The figure teased.

Fear of the pursuing men was replaced with a different kind of fear as she recognized the voice. "I'm so sorry Laxus!" She bowed quickly to the towering blonde before her, then behind her.

Noting her actions Laxus looked where she was looking. Spotting the group of pursuers, he narrowed his eyes and swept the startled blonde closer to him, grabbing her face in his hand lightly. The group of men caught up, and Lucy tensed unsure what was going to happen next.

"'Ey man. Thanks for catching her. My girl and I got in a fight and she wouldn't hear me out." He lied, his words slurred almost to incomprehensiveness.

Laxus rose an eyebrow at the speaker, and glanced down at the shaking blonde in his arms. He chuckled lightly, surprising Lucy. "You seem to have been mistaken," he said threateningly, "Lucy here can't possibly be your girl," he poked her cheek as he said her name. Lucy blinked in surprise at Laxus addressing her by name.

"You don't know that!" Shouted one of the men.

Laxus narrowed his eyes at the speaker before continuing, "I said she can't be yours. Because she's mine." He said the last with all the viciousness he could muster.

Lucy's eyes widened at the blonde. "Wha-" before she could finish even one word Laxus cut her off. He had quickly realized she may blow the lie and leaned down and kissed her. Startled at the sudden kiss Lucy stopped talking and leaned into him, realizing he was trying to help her.

The men stopped their rants at the sight, and the one who had spoken first yelled at the taller man before him. But before he could get so much as a curse out, a bolt of lightning hit the man square in the chest, knocking him back a few feet.

"Consider that your cue to get the hell out of here." Laxus rumbled threateningly at the group as he held the blushing celestial wizard close.

The wiser of the men quickly retreated, leaving their friend sprawled on the ground. Lightning crackled around the pair of blondes, casting violent shadows across the remaining man. Scrambling to his feet, he rose his fist and opened his mouth to shout something but a quick bolt hitting directly in front of his feet stopped him before he uttered much more than a syllable. Nearly biting his tongue the man turned on his heel and fled.

Watching the man go Laxus finally released Lucy from his grip. She looked up at him, blushing. "Thank you." She stammered out quietly. She looked at him, staring into his blue-green eyes.

The big brown orbs staring at him with so much admiration caused Laxus to look away quickly flushing at the unusual response. "It's fine." He stated, keeping himself from looking at her. He reached out and took her hand, "I'll take you home Blondie." He mumbled.

She smiled sweetly at him, surprised at his actions towards her, but happy that he had come to her aid. "Thank you." she said again, smiling as she gripped his hand.

They walked together in silence, hand in hand, until they reached her apartment. Releasing his grip, he watched her walk up to the door and unlock it. He didn't try to go in after her, but waited til she was safe inside.

Opening the door Lucy looked back toward the lightning wizard, smiling at him, "Thank you again, Laxus." Then she looked down, blushing hard as she bit her lip lightly. "You could come in if you'd like. I mean it's late and all. And you did help me. It's the least I could offer." She stammered as she spoke, hiding behind the door slightly.

Laxus chuckled at her. "Thank you, but I'll pass. Gramps will hound me with questions if I don't go home tonight." He smiled at her, "have a good night Lucy." He said before turning and leaving.

She blushed more at his use of her name. "Good night. Laxus." She said softly, knowing the lightning dragon slayer would hear her reply.

Closing the door she turned to find Natsu sleeping soundly in her bed. Smiling softly at him she changed her clothes once more. Pushing him over slightly, she settled into bed. Her thoughts revolved around the mission she and Natsu would go on the following day as well as Laxus' valiant rescue. Blushing at both thoughts she snuggled down in the blankets and fell asleep.

(To be continued...)

Characters are not owned by me; All named characters are property of Hiro Mashima from his series, Fairy Tail.

This is meant to be a fan fiction, written by a fan (Shey), for entertainment purposes only.

This is my first fanfiction! I hope you enjoy it!


	2. Chapter 2

Lucy awoke the next morning with a sleepy grin on her face. Yawning, she patted her hand around next to her in an attempt to wake the dragon slayer that slept next to her. Her hand touching nothing but blankets she looked over to find that her bedmate had left, and by how cool the sheet felt it had been an hour at least. She sighed lightly, as she got out of bed and began her morning routine.

'He probably went home to get ready for the mission,' she thought as she prepared a bath. She stripped off her clothes and lowered herself into the warm water, savoring the heat as it touched her skin. She soaked for about a half hour thinking over the events that would take place that day. She'd meet Natsu at the train station in about an hour, then they'd go and meet the client to review what they need to be on the lookout for. The party wouldn't be until 7pm so they would have a few hours to prepare beforehand. She blushed slightly thinking about the mission. Natsu would be taking her and acting as her boyfriend. So they would have to dance together right.

Lucy's eyes widened at that thought. Does Natsu even know how to dance? She shook her head quickly, telling herself not to worry on such matters. "Of course he can..." She muttered to herself as she stood up and got out of the bath.

Drying herself she decided to wear her usual attire to meet the client, and picked out a powder blue and white formal gown to wear for the night. Packing that, she picked out a pair of light grey heels, a necklace with a small blue gemstone and a silver hair clip to complete the look. She began to zip her bag closed but stopped herself halfway, then retrieved an extra set of casual clothes for the following day as well as a sleep shirt.

Zipping her bag shut she placed it by the door and proceeded to blow dry her hair. After that she did up her hair, double checked that she packed all she needed, and quickly wrote a letter to her mother regaling the events of the day prior. She finished the letter, pressed a wax seal on it, and placed it with the other similar letters.

Deciding she was all set and spying the time she grabbed her belt with her keys and whip and proceeded to the door, grabbing her bag by a handle on the top. She opened the door quickly, narrowly missing a figure that was standing in it's path.

Startled, Lucy squeaked, "I'm so sorry!"

Her eyes widened as the figure waved off her apology, "It's fine. It's fine, I shouldn't 've been standing that close anyway." Muttered Laxus.

"What are you doing here?" Inquired Lucy, "is everything okay?"

"Yeah! Everything is fine!"Laxus grinned happily at the blonde standing in the doorway. "I was just checking up on you, to make sure you were okay after everything that had happened last night." Lucy blushed, thinking back to the night prior. Laxus eyed her with interest and rose an eyebrow at her, gesturing at the bag she gripped tightly. "Where are you off to?"

Lucy looked up at him, still unsure as to why he was being so...nice...to her. "I'm about to head out on a mission with Natsu." She handed him the mission request paper, "Natsu said that it's be perfect for me since I need the rent money and I like dresses."

Laxus chuckled, thinking back to the times that Bixlow had called her a cosplay queen. He stopped that thought suddenly as he noted that it was a dance. Handing the paper back to her he asked, "Does that flame-brain even know how to dance though?"

Lucy hung her head as she tucked the paper in her bag, "I don't know." She sighed. "But it should be fine." She smiled warmly at the lightning dragon slayer, somehow finding herself increasingly more comfortable around him as they talked. She had been unsure about how to feel when she had seen him the first time at the guild, back when she went on the mission to Galuna. After that she had grown to either fear him or hate him as he ignored the guild during the phantom lord incident and when he attacked the guild personally soon after. Maybe she felt both.

But then, after he had come back during the s class exam and after the master reluctantly let him back in the guild she wasn't sure what to think anymore. He had avenged her underhanded defeat during the grand magic games too. And then that rescue the night before... is he acting like he's starting to care? Lost in thought of the past she hadn't realized that Laxus had been talking to her until he had called her name numerous times and touched her shoulder.

"Are you sure you're alright?" He asked, his voice full of concern.

She waved him off, blushing lightly, "I'm fine, really! Just thinking."

"Uh huh." Laxus narrowed his eyes in disbelief, "you have a train to catch right?" Lucy nodded, unsure what brought that on. Laxus grabbed her bag and flipped it over his shoulder, gently enough that it wouldn't slap his back and damage anything inside. "Let's go then," he walked off down the street. Stopping a bit ahead he waved for the dumb-struck girl to follow, "I'll walk you to the train, Blondie. Just to be safe." He said the last quietly.

Jogging up to him she thanked him for the offer and proceeded to attempt to regain possession of her bag.

"Nah ah." He turned, moving the bag out of her reach again, "I insist miss." He said laughing quietly. Huffing, Lucy stopped her attempts and walked heavily next to the taller blonde, frustrated.

The walk to the train station went surprisingly quick, as the pair lost themselves in conversation along the way. A shout of anger and the station's doors busting open to reveal a confused and concerned Natsu running at them snapped them out of their chatter.

"Laxus! What are you doing with Lucy?!" He asked, still unsure as to whether or not he should be worried for her.

"Natsu! It's alright." Lucy shouted as she quickly positioned herself so she was standing in front of Laxus in an attempt to block the path of the charging dragon slayer.

Screeching to a halt, Natsu grabbed Lucy by the shoulders, "What is he doing here?" He asked in as quiet of a manner as his stress would allow. While he looked up to the lightning dragon slayer he was quick to assume that Lucy may be in danger without him around, and whether or not Laxus was the cause.

"He was walking down the street when I was, so I asked him to help me to the station since my bag was heavy." She lied. Lucy was concerned that if Natsu found out that she had been attacked while he was sleeping peacefully he would be furious. And if Natsu found out that Laxus had saved her, not to mention kissed her as well... Well, Lucy didn't want to think of his reaction at this time. She decided she'd tell him some other time, when he wasn't as volatile.

"Yeah. And there's no way I can turn down a girl in need." Laxus said as he caught on to her fib. He put a friendly hand on her shoulder, reassuring her that he would say nothing on the matter. 'Best to avoid that dumb conflict if I can.' He thought, before smiling awkwardly at Natsu.

Releasing his grip on Lucy, Natsu looked Laxus in the eye a few moments before smiling at both blondes. "Oh!" He said cheerfully, "Thanks a bunch Laxus!" Before he could say anything more a worried blue form flew over shouting.

"The train's about to leave you guys! Hurry up!" Happy started waving frantically at the group trying to get them to rush.

"Oh no!" Lucy wailed as she heard the train whistle, "Hurry Natsu!" She shouted as she grabbed his wrist and dragged him to the loading platform.

Slightly startled at the commotion, Laxus stood holding Lucy's bag in one hand and his other hovering over where the blonde had previously been standing. Quickly realizing she ran off he chased after to at least give her the bag before the train set off.

Rushing onto the train, Natsu found an empty bench and seated himself near the isle, mentally prepping himself for the train ride. Lucy sat next to him, and Happy cuddled onto her lap. Following the group, Laxus stomped on board and quickly put the bag on a spare seat for Lucy. She thanked him for his help and he wished her luck, turned and headed for the door.

Another whistle and the conductor announced they would be heading out. The doors slapped close in front of him. The train jerked into movement and the fire dragon slayer immediately went green and leaned on Lucy. Laxus, but mere steps from safety began sweating bullets. Glancing over his shoulder at Lucy he saw her smile awkwardly at him and patted the seat next to her for him to sit.

Taking the invite, he seated himself hard and looked out the window, muttering to the blonde staring at him, "I guess I'll be tagging a long then." He accidentally bit his lip hard as the train jerked a turn.

Lucy put a hand on his leg as he leaned his face on the cool glass of the window. "Thank you." Lucy whispered. She didn't want to admit that she was comforted by knowing that she'll have both dragon slayers by her side. He griped her hand softly, closing his eyes as he attempted to absorb the cold from the glass and fight off waves of nausea.

(To be continued...)

Characters are not owned by me; All named characters are property of Hiro Mashima from his series, Fairy Tail.

This is meant to be a fan fiction, written by a fan (Shey), for entertainment purposes only.


	3. Chapter 3

The train ride seemed to last an eternity, but the group finally arrived at the station, much to the relief of the two dragon slayers. Laxus, who had handled the journey better than Natsu, carried said dragon slayer off of the train before it left. Once more on solid ground, the fire dragon slayer recovered at breakneck speed.

Sighing at her crazy friend, who had begun running around looking at the various shops of food set up nearby. Lucy grabbed the handle of her bag and tipped it so it rested on its small wheels. She looked up at the grumbling blonde next to her and smiled warmly. Grabbing his hand carefully she began walking, dragging her bag and her complaining companion behind her.

Quickly falling into step, Laxus walked next to Lucy eyeing Natsu with interest. "Is he always like this?"

Lucy giggled, "Only when there something interesting going on." She paused. "I think he's happy you came along with us."

Glancing down at her, Laxus blushed lightly before looking away nodding. The dragon slayer in question overheard a bit of their conversation and jogged up to the pair, Happy flying next to him. Noting the two holding hands, Natsu raised an eyebrow, his smile disappearing.

"The client's place is up ahead. Let's go meet the guy." The wide grin returned as he spoke, and he hoped that his companions hadn't noticed his prior reaction.

"Shouldn't we find a place to sleep first?" Asked Laxus.

Lucy nodded in agreement but Natsu waved off their concern, "We'll have plenty of time to do that after we meet the client." He practically beamed at the pair, "right Happy?"

"Aye!" The cat cheerfully agreed.

Lucy shook her head in exasperation, "If there's a party tonight, the hotels will fill up quickly."

"Stop your worrying! Let's go!" Natsu gleefully said, reaching down and grabbing both blondes by their hand, breaking the pair's loose link. He pulled both down the street and up to the residence detailed in the request.

Releasing his death grip Natsu went up and banged his hand on the door. Lucy rubbed her wrist lightly as she noted a red mark around her wrist, glancing at Laxus she noted he too had a light mark, although he made no effort to sooth the sting. The door unlocked and a small maid ushered the group in.

"You are the wizards from Fairy Tail, correct?" She asked in a quiet mousey voice.

"You bet we are!" Natsu exclaimed excitedly.

"Then you wouldn't mind showing me your marks so I can be sure. Correct?" A low commanding voice spoke as a figure made his way into the room that the group stood in.

"Of course we can." Lucy piped in, turning her hand to show the pink mark to the man. "Are you the client?" She asked as he checked her mark.

"Yes. I am." He stated flatly as he checked Natsu's mark on his shoulder. "I do recall requesting pairs though. Not three wizards and a cat." He continued as he checked Happy's mark on his back. Making his way to Laxus, who had made no attempt to show his mark, he narrowed his eyes at the taller man. "And you?"

Laxus tsked, "I've rarely seen clients inspect marks for fakes before. In fact the only times I have seen it were on s-class missions. What are you hiding?"

The man sighed, pulling out a pair of glasses and placing them on his face, "I have had times that wizards from dark guilds have posed as those not of their ilk. Call me paranoid if you will, but I'd prefer to be completely sure I got the wizards from the guild I received a response from." He paused frowning, "now show me your mark or get out of my home."

Laxus stared down at the man before sighing and undoing the buttons of his shirt. Pulling it open he revealed his muscled chest as well as the tattoos sprawled across the left side from his shoulder down. Right below his heart sat the Fairy Tail mark which the client inspected before pulling back and walking away. "Come with me so I can tell you my plan and what I'd like you to do."

The group nodded and followed after, Laxus fixing his shirt as they went. Seating themselves on a velvet couch across from the client, the group heard the story behind the event. "A celebration of my wife's work, and involvement in the city." He described it as.

Laxus knit his eyebrows together thinking over what they were told. "And you think a rogue wizard may attack you or your wife?" He asked.

The client nodded once, stopped, and shook his head. "I am not concerned over whether or not _my_ life is targeted specifically. Rather, I am worried over putting my wife and the guests lives in danger because someone may be after me." He looked down at his feet, and clasped his hands together in front of him. "Will you help me still? Even after hearing all that?" He asked looking up pleadingly at the wizards seated before him.

They all nodded, Natsu and Lucy smiling at him warmly.

"Of course we will, especially after you told us all that." Natsu confirmed, jumping to his feet, ready to take on this mysterious foe. The other two rose to their feet, albeit with less enthusiasm than Natsu, and confirmed they too would assist.

Thanking the wizards before him, the client escorted them out, reminding them that the party starts at 7 pm sharp so to arrive early. Nodding and saying their farewells the group made their way off the property to the street where they received directions to the nearest hotel.

Glancing at a street clock Lucy noted they had only 4 hours until the party. Hoping there was still vacancy Laxus went to the front desk to request two rooms. Lucy and Natsu waited closer to the door and discussed the mission as they waited.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'NO VACANCY'?" Laxus shouted, surprising the chatting pair.

Walking over to the dragon slayer, they overheard the desk worker attempting to calm the large angry man before him. "We filled up the last room about an hour or two ago to a young girl and a cat. We have no more space unfortunately sir! I'm very sorry sir!" The frightened man stuttered out this as well as a stream of apologies to the fuming dragon slayer who had started to emit sparks.

Sighing, Lucy placed a hand on Laxus' shoulder much like he had done for her, hoping it would have a similar effect. Watching lighting dance across her hand, she gripped lightly staring at him, a small frown forming. Laxus looked at the smaller blonde, his rage fizzling. He turned away from the desk in a huff, shaking her hand from his shoulder.

Natsu watched the two, furrowing his brows slightly. Something the cowardly man had said before stuck out. A young girl… with a cat? Turning to watch Laxus storm out the door, Natsu reached over and held Lucy's hand comfortingly, gripping it lightly. Returning the grip, they proceeded after their companion, Happy trailing along behind them.

A small thump caught their attention, as well as a squeaky apology. Releasing each other's hands, Natsu and Lucy jogged up to where the sound had come from. A small form had accidentally run into Laxus and had fallen onto their butt. The voice was painstakingly familiar, and as they approached the now kneeling dragon slayer they had found the reason. Laxus helped Wendy to her feet, apologizing to the little dragon slayer as Carla berated him for not looking where he was going. Now on her feet Wendy noticed Laxus' companions.

"You guys!" Wendy cheered, running up to Natsu and hugging him warmly.

Returning the hug Natsu smiled, "What are you doing here Wendy?" He asked curious.

"Carla and I had just finished a mission and were just heading back to our hotel room." Wendy answered happily. The mentioned cat was turning her attention away from Laxus as Happy came to greet her. Ignoring the other cat for the most part, Carla confirmed what Wendy had said. "What about you?" Wendy asked, tipping her head to the side while looking at the group.

"We're on a mission for later and were trying to find a place to stay for the night. But the hotel is full." Laxus answered coolly as he turned to face the group.

"If you need a place to sleep, you can share the room with us." Wendy offered, a wide smile on her face.

"Absolutely not!" Carla exclaimed. "If it were just Lucy I would have no problem, but I do not wish you to share a room with these two males and their tomcat."

"But Carla!" Wendy whined.

Carla huffed, turning to look away from the pleading eyes of her dear friend.

"There's probably another hotel somewhere in this town. And we have about three hours until the dance, so..." Laxus muttered.

"Dance?" Wendy asked, looking up at the towering blonde.

Lucy nodded, "We have a mission to act as guards at the dance tonight." She smiled at the little dragon slayer as she oooed in wonder.

An idea struck Natsu, and he grabbed Wendy by the shoulders gently. "How about this! You come with us to the dance tonight as Laxus' partner. And you'll let us stay in your hotel room with you tonight."

A wondrous smile covered Wendy's face at the thought of getting to go to a dance.

Noticing the smile, Carla began shaking her head vehemently. "No." She said, "No. Absolutely not. Wendy. No. We can't just let them stay with us."

Wendy looked at Carla, a forlorn expression temporarily hiding her joy, "But Carla." She whined. "We're a guild, we're a family. C'moooon." This and other whines came from not only Wendy, but Natsu as well. Finally giving in, Carla gave them permission.

Cheering, Natsu jumped to his feet and motioned for Wendy to lead the way. Curtsying, she led the group to the hotel room, where she revealed two beds close together.

"Lucy and Wendy in one, me and Laxus in the other?" Natsu asked awkwardly.

Laxus shook his head, "No way I'm sleeping next to you flame-brain. If I gotta sleep next to anyone here it's gonna be Blondie."

Carla grumbled at the comment.

"Then one of us on the floor then?" Natsu asked. "Lucy sleeps next to one of us and one sleeps on the floor?" The group agreed and drew makeshift lots to figure out how they'd sleep.

It was decided that Wendy would sleep with Lucy, Laxus alone and Natsu on the floor. Accepting the results Wendy and Laxus left the hotel to find something formal to wear for the party in a couple hours.

Unpacking her dress, Lucy cleaned off the wrinkles as best she could. Nodding at the display Lucy turned to see Natsu watching intently. Cocking his head to the side he finally spoke after a long pause.

"So..." He said, speaking carefully. "What is with you two?"

"Hmm?" Asked Lucy.

"I mean why are you so close all of a sudden?"

Lucy closed her eyes for a moment. Deciding it might be the best time, she began telling him everything that had happened the past couple days.

(To be continued...)

Characters are not owned by me; All named characters are property of Hiro Mashima from his series, Fairy Tail.

This is meant to be a fan fiction, written by a fan (Shey), for entertainment purposes only.


	4. Chapter 4

Natsu was shocked to say the least. Not only had his dear friend been attacked without him knowing, but Laxus had been the one to save her. And judging by the light blush on Lucy's face as she regaled the events, the rescue had left a lasting impression on the celestial Mage.

"I guess I have to thank him for helping you..." Natsu looked down, slightly ashamed that Lucy had been harassed while he was sleeping not too far away.

Lucy waved her hands in front of her, "no, no it's fine. He said it was the least he could do after everything that has happened." She smiled warmly at Natsu, leaning over to rest her forehead on his shoulder. "Thank you, Natsu."

He glanced at her confused, "for what?"

Lucy shook her head gently. "Well, for everything, y'know. Bringing me to the guild, and taking me on missions and helping me and all that." She sighed lightly as Natsu patted her head softly. "Just thank you. Really."

"We'll aren't we a cute couple." A low voice came from the now open door, heralding the return of the other two dragon slayers. Lucy jumped slightly at the interruption.

Twisting her head to look at the pair in the doorway, Lucy's eyes widened as she saw what they were wearing. Laxus was clad in a formal black suit, with a tie that depicted a stormy night. Standing up, her gaze focused on the little dragon slayer behind Laxus.

"Wendy! You are just...so...cute!" Lucy hugged the smaller girl, the pair giggling. Wendy wore a poofy white dress that ended just below the knees, with a matching white stole[K1] and shoes.

"I wasn't sure if this would suit me or not," Wendy paused, using her head to gesture at the taller dragon slayer, "but Laxus assured me that it was perfect for me." She smiled warmly, happy to have had a chance to connect with another dragon slayer. Wendy hadn't met Laxus until the fiasco with grimoire heart. And even then it was a fleeting moment of introduction.

Natsu stood up and walked up to the group, so he was standing directly in front of Wendy. Smiling wide, he placed a hand on her head, touching her hair softly as to not mess it up.

Wendy's hair was tied up in a pony, with a hair clip that looked like wings jutting out of the tied mass.

"You look beautiful." Natsu said happily before turning and retrieving the clothes he would wear for the night. Lucy followed suit and after much fuss and a summoned Cancer later both were prepared for the event as well. Lucy did her hair up in a simple bun with the silver hair clip and small chains holding it up, and wore her prepared dress. Natsu wore a deep red suit, with a black bow tie.

Happy wore a matching tie, and Carla wore a smaller version of the dress Wendy wore, but with a small white rose clipped to her fur. Happy made his way to the white cat and began fawning over her and showered her with compliments. Carla looked away, clearly embarrassed, causing Lucy to giggle at the pair.

Laxus cleared his throat and gestured to the clock, "it's already 6:30. We should head out. If you are all done preparing, that is."

He didn't specify who, but Lucy had a feeling that the comment was directed at her. Nodding, the group exited the room, Lucy leaving last as Laxus held open the door.

As Lucy passed by the lightning dragon slayer he coughed out a "You look nice."

Blushing Lucy looked up ashe turned away. She giggled, "Thank you Laxus." She paused, "you look nice as well." She smiled and followed after the group.

Trailing behind, Laxus locked the room and hurried up to the group as they made their way down the street to the party. Most of the previously busy street was now empty, and the sun began to sink towards the horizon. Looking at the array of colours, Lucy couldn't help but smile.

"What is it Blondie?" Inquired the tall blonde, cocking an eyebrow at the small, but sad, smile on Lucy's face.

"Nothing." She said, returning her attention to the path before her. "I just couldn't help but find it funny how the sunset looks so similar here as it does in magnolia." She sighed lightly, brightening her smile as she looked up at the dragon slayer. "That's all."

He felt there was more, but had a feeling that he shouldn't push the subject. A glance of concern from Natsu made Laxus shake his head, hoping that the fire dragon slayer would get the idea that he shouldn't push either. Apparently he had, as he nodded to his comrade, attempting a silent communication between them.

"We're here!" Breathed Lucy, excitement evident in her voice.

The small maid from earlier greeted the group, and had them present invitations that had been included in the request. Pretending that this was their first meeting, the group was permitted entry to the grand ballroom as guests of the master.

In the ballroom people gathered together, a hushed chatter coursed through the room just slightly covered by the music that was being played.

Natsu blanched at the hubbub before making his way to the buffet table on the other end of the room.

Laxus glared at the retreating man, "guy has no understanding for music." He grumbled.

"Is that why you're still wearing your headphones?" Lucy asked sarcastically, tapping the side of her head.

Huffing, Laxus gently pulled the cables, popping the spiked headphones off his ears before stashing them somewhere in his jacket, "just cause I was wearing them doesn't mean I was listening to anything on them."

He made a face as Lucy giggled at his reaction. She couldn't help but wonder where he stashed them so that he wouldn't be poked by the spikes. She was about to ask when the clock clicked to 7 and began chiming. As a whole, the room ceased all sound. By the time that the clock stopped, the entire room had as well, no music, no talking, barely even the sound of movement.

You could hear a pin drop, that's how still it became. Even Natsu had noticed, quieting himself and glancing at his companions in confusion. Sensing the silent question, Lucy shrugged at the dragon slayer, gesturing to the balcony where the other guests were now focused on. A single door lined the wall, and after a few moments it clicked open, sliding quietly.

The client emerged from the doorway, his one arm crooked. A slim pale arm was gently wrapped around that arm, which was connected to a mid-aged woman who's beauty was reminiscent of a porcelain doll. Looking down at the crowd, she smiled before turning her head to look lovingly at her husband. He smiled at her before addressing the people before him.

"Thank you all for coming to this special event!" He spoke loud, but without raising his voice to a yell, and with the commanding tone the wizards had heard earlier. "Tonight we are to celebrate a very special milestone in our lives, and I feel fortunate to be able to share it with so many of you." He took a deep breath, "I have been working to bring joy to children for years, and for the first time I will personally be blessed with one of my own." A cheer went up. "My wife and I recently discovered that she was expecting, and wished to celebrate this grand event with all of you." He turned to his wife, "my love, you have made me the happiest man in the world day after day. And with this upcoming addition to the family, you will bring even more wonder to my life." She blushed at him, smiling wide, and small tears formed at the corners of her eyes. She kissed him gently, before the pair turned to regard the crowd once more, "please, enjoy yourselves!"

He pumped a fist in the air, and a second cheer went up as everyone returned to their conversations. The client and his wife made their way down the stairs to mingle with the crowd, speaking to this group and that, laughter and slaps on the back greeting the client each time.

Lucy watched the couple, a wide smile on her face, "I hope to have someone who loves me that much someday." She said quietly.

Laxus looked down at her, "you already do Blondie. There are probably a few that would do just about anything just to hear you say that you love them too."

Lucy looked up at the taller blonde, slightly in shock. But he had turned away, his face slightly red. He patted her on the back and walked towards where Wendy had made her way through the crowd.

Glancing now at Natsu, Lucy shook her head. "No way." She muttered, "I doubt it."

Laxus had heard her quiet comment, glancing back at her sadly. She hadn't realized just how much Natsu, much less himself, had grown to love her. Gritting his teeth he decided that he would make her realize it. And with this mission he may never get another chance.

(To be continued...)

Characters are not owned by me; All named characters are property of Hiro Mashima from his series, Fairy Tail.

This is meant to be a fan fiction, written by a fan (Shey), for entertainment purposes only.

(in response to a review I received; Lucy cared for Natsu first, but since the whole thing with Lisanna she didn't want to push herself in, and as for Laxus she was mostly pretending due to the situation she was in in the first part of this fic, but because of how he was with her she kinda developed feelings for him that she had likely been ignoring until that point. It's not really love at this point, more like a small crush or light infatuation sort of thing.)


	5. Chapter 5

From there the dance proceeded normally. All the guests were accounted for. And aside from the group from Fairy Tail, there were no surprise arrivals.

The music was calm with a soft beat, shifting from classical to a type with a pop feel to it. Laxus couldn't help but laugh as he noticed Natsu trying to dance with Lucy. Swishing her side to side, trying to lean with the music, and impress his partner. Lucy winced as he stepped hard on her left foot. Natsu began apologizing repeatedly, to which Lucy waved off, assuring him that she was alright. Shaking his head, Laxus approached the fumbling pair, Lucy glancing at him with a small smile.

He bowed gracefully, taking her hand carefully before speaking, "may I cut in?" He asked, looking at the blonde expectantly.

Smiling, Lucy nodded and curtsied, while Natsu grumbled to himself, heading back to the buffet tables. Whisking Lucy away, Laxus spun her gracefully before falling into beat with the song. Lucy was speechless at how well he could dance.

Laxus noted her reaction, "gramps had me learn formal dance years back." He muttered, looking away from Lucy's wondering eyes.

Lucy giggled, "I'm glad he did." She smiled, blushing lightly.

Seeing her face light up, Laxus couldn't help but pull her closer to him as they danced. Lucy's blush deepened, especially after she saw Wendy watching the pair in awe alongside Natsu from the side of the room.

"Beautiful!" Wendy gasped as she watched the pair.

"I don't see what's so special about dancing like that." Natsu huffed, clearly irked at his dismissal. He attempted to mimic how Laxus was dancing, managing to nearly trip over his feet in the process. "Igneel showed me how to dance, y'know. He said I was great, but" he gestured to the pair of blondes twirling on the dance floor, "it wasn't that kind of dance."

He frowned as he began to notice that many of the guests were watching his friends dance, murmuring amongst themselves about how great they were or how they were a picture perfect couple. Looking up at Natsu, Wendy curled her hands into fists, psyching herself out before making her way onto the floor. Approaching the blondes, Wendy gently tapped Laxus on the side, trying to get his attention.

The pair stopped as Wendy spoke up softly. "Can you." She smiled lightly, unsure how to word it correctly, "can you dance with me? Show me how to dance like that?" She glanced down, "if you don't mind, that is, Laxus?"

He smiled at her, patting her on the head gently, "of course." He glanced at Lucy, "if that's all right with you, Lucy"

Lucy nodded, "of course, I think I'd like to sit for a bit anyway." She smiled at the two dragon slayers before making her way to where Natsu was still half attempting to mimic the dance style he had seen. Laughing quietly to herself, Lucy approached the fumbling wizard, "not like that. You have to move this foot first before you turn."

Natsu jumped, having not fully noticed his friend's presence. He eyed her questioningly before doing as she instructed, this time managing to complete the step he was attempting.

His eyes widened in amazement, turning his head to quickly look at the girl, "thanks Luce!" He then bowed how Laxus had done earlier, "may I cut in?"

Lucy laughed, "you're supposed to say that when you interrupt someone who was already dancing with someone else, dummy."

Natsu looked up at her, while still in a bow, pouting slightly. "Fine." He said straightening up, "dance with me again, Luce." He tried to keep a serious, near defiant, look to him but Lucy wasn't able to see him as such. He appeared more as the usual 'I made a mistake but I won't admit that it wasn't part of my plan' guy that she liked.

She paused that thought, she liked him right? As a friend, of course, but was it more? She wasn't sure. Yeah he had been there for her so many times, saving her from so many dangers. But it was because they were such close friends! She thought back to what Laxus had said earlier, that there were people who really loved her. Did he mean Natsu?

"Luce?" Natsu asked, snapping Lucy out of her thoughts.

She took his hand, smiling widely, "let's." she said as she shook the quick thought that Laxus had been speaking of himself rather than Natsu and even Gray[K1] . 'Laxus' [K2] older than me, and would likely prefer a more mature girl than me.' She thought.

Natsu took her hand in his carefully, standing in front of her trying to find the right steps again. He was still pretty off from the music, but he wasn't stepping on Lucy's feet anymore. That was an improvement. Lucy sighed lightly as thoughts ran through her mind. The many small events that could be signs that Laxus liked her. 'Of course he likes me', she thought, 'I'm a likable person.'

"Is everything okay?" Natsu asked, clearly noticing that his friend was distracted by something.

Lucy looked at him askance[K3] as she pulled herself from her thoughts, "Yeah, I'm fine." She smiled at him, "I just have some things on my mind lately."

"Like what? You can tell me."

Lucy blushed a little, glancing away as she debated whether or not to tell him or not, "I've just been thinking about a comment Laxus had made earlier. That there are people who like me."

Natsu's eyes widened slightly, "Of course there are, Lucy!" He grinned cheerfully, "Everyone in the guild does for sure! And there's Yukino and the other two from Sabertooth. I'm sure they like you too. And. And, those flirts from Blue Pegasus. And..."

Lucy giggled, putting a finger to his mouth to get him to stop rambling. "I mean the type of like, that's more than friends." Her blush hadn't faded, "Like how Loke always tells me how much he's in love with me. That kind of like."

Natsu registered what she had meant, and stole a quick glance at Laxus who was still guiding Wendy through the various dance steps. A blush covered his face as he thought of what she had just said.

"When Laxus had said there're people who like me, I think he may have been talking about himself. But how he worded it... It sounded like it was meant to be plural, as in there's more than one person who likes me." She looked down, trying to hide her pervasive blush. "Are y-" She gulped slightly, "Do you like me? Like that?"

They had stopped dancing, and were standing in the middle of the room, Laxus and Wendy looked at the pair, concern in their eyes. Natsu just stood there, unsure on what to say.

"I." He paused, "[K4] I don't know." He looked at her, "I never really thought of it."

This struck Lucy like she had just been stabbed. Some tears formed at the corners of her eyes. She shook her head lightly, laughing quietly, "I'm kidding, Natsu. Don't worry about it." She smiled awkwardly at him, "It was a stupid thing to ask. We're best friends after all, I shouldn't have said it." Her smile faltered slightly, she broke from his grip before he could say anything. "I'm going to get some fresh air." She then lifted her skirts and rushed off the floor, not noticing that people were watching her.

Laxus marched up to Natsu, Wendy trailing behind him worriedly. He postured himself as threateningly as possible before the fire dragon slayer, "What did you do?" he thundered at the shorter male. Natsu looked up at him, clearly confused. Laxus softened his expression slightly, he only wanted answers, and threatening Natsu now would only create a fight.

Wendy sneaked her way forward, hiding behind the towering blonde slightly before speaking. "What were you talking about?" She asked quietly, so only the three of them could hear.

Natsu shook his head, "She was saying that Laxus said something about people liking her. And asked if I was one of them. That liked her like Loke does." He glanced at the door his friend had passed through seconds prior.

"And what did you tell her?" Laxus asked, trying to keep quiet, as he noted people watching the trio. He motioned to the side of the room, "Let's get off the dance floor. We don't need to be the center of attention at someone else's party."

The other two nodded, and went to the far wall before Natsu answered the question. "I told her I didn't know." He shook his head again, "Then she left like that, you saw that much." He looked at the pair before him, clearly confused at what he did that would have upset the celestial mage.

Laxus sighed dramatically, Wendy shook her head. "Of course she was upset." He muttered.

Natsu was taken aback, "She said it was okay."

Wendy huffed, "She was obviously lying, saying something like that to a girl is plain mean."

Laxus patted Wendy on the head, sighing again, "I'll go talk to her, we have the mission to take care of still, we all need a clear head for this." He glared at Natsu, "And if I hear that you broke her heart. You'll be the one hearing from me."

With that said he exit the room, heading to where he thought the celestial wizard may have gone.

(To be continued...)

Characters are not owned by me; All named characters are property of Hiro Mashima from his series, Fairy Tail.

This is meant to be a fan fiction, written by a fan (Shey), for entertainment purposes only.

(Apologies for the long break in between updates, I've been busy. And I will likely not update again until after valentine's due to work.)


	6. Chapter 6

Lucy sighed. She hadn't expected that response from Natsu. To tell the truth, she didn't expect much, but for him to flat out tell her that he hadn't given it even a thought, it hurt.

The night air felt cool on her face, as she leaned on the banister and watched the stars. It was about 9 at night, so the chill hadn't set in quite yet, but it was enough to cause her to shiver as the wind gently blew on her wet face. She hadn't cried that much, but it was enough.

Footsteps alerted her to a person approaching, she glanced up, her make-up slightly smudged, expecting it to be Natsu. Instead it was a complete stranger, laughing quietly to himself. He clearly radiated magical energy, and Lucy couldn't recall his face, so she didn't think he had been in the ballroom earlier.

He noted her watching him, still laughing quietly, "And what is a pretty lady doing out here in the cold night air all alone?"

Lucy blushed lightly, "I just needed some fresh air, are you a guest?" She was going to comment that she didn't recognize him, but thought better of it.

"Of course, of course." He nodded, now standing next to the blonde. She hadn't been able to make out any defining features till now. He was quite handsome, in a regal sort of way. He had short, well-groomed hair, that was slicked back, and was cleanly shaved as well. Dressed in a dark tux, he wouldn't have looked out of place in the party, but someone that attractive would have stood out amongst the dancers that Lucy had seen, albeit not as much as the two males that had accompanied her.

She eyed him curiously, suspicion evident on her face. She pursed her lips, and went to speak, but was cut off by the man before her.

"I seem to have arrived quite late, I see." He laughed lightly, "My date was supposed to have met me here, but it appears that I have been ditched." He tsked, returning his attention to the blonde, "Would you like to accompany me for this party?" He asked, his voice smooth and enthralling. He took Lucy's hand gently, leaning close to her, speaking in her ear, "A beauty like you would be a great partner for such an event."

Lucy blushed, but was slightly uncomfortable at how close the man was getting. He continued, to whisper sweet words to her, and after a short time, Lucy finally agreed to accompany him. The pair strode to the door, slowly, as some part of Lucy told herself that there was something off about the man. She struggled against the sudden mugginess in her mind, forcing herself out of a sort of trance. Stopping dead in her tracks she scowled at the man who stared at her in clear annoyance. He thrust his hand at her, urging her to take it.

She swatted it away, speaking to him in a threatening manner, "Are you really a guest?"

"Of course I am." He said, through gritted teeth, "Now come on, let's go in."

She shook her head, recalling the invitations that everyone had to present, "Then where is your invite?" She asked, her voice slightly smug at how smart she was.

He drew a small piece of paper from his coat pocket, waving it before her eyes. He pulled it from her reach before she could inspect it, clearly not wishing for her to see it. That was enough for her, as she came to the only logical conclusion that this had to be the one who was threatening the client.

"I already have a date, mister. And I don't really believe that you're a guest."

"And why's that?" His annoyance at the girlbefore him rising. He couldn't believe the nerve of her, who did she think she was.

"If you were a guest, you wouldn't have needed to try and use magic to convince me to accompany you inside. In fact a handsome man like you would certainly have had a date or two available to bring." Lucy was proud of her intellect at the things she'd noticed, "Plus it appears you didn't take into account that this was a partner event until the last moment. And you wouldn't let me see your invitation." She smiled proudly as she said the last, confident in her deductions.

A low growl escaped the man, confirming that Lucy's claims were true. He lunged at her, casting a quick spell at her. She dodged it quickly, taking care in trying not to tear her dress. Her attempt failed as she caught her foot on one of the skirts, tearing it horribly. She rolled to a crouch, retrieving her keys from a small pouch hidden in the folds of her dress.

Pointing the key forward, she called, "Open, Gate of the scorpion, Scorpio."

Scorpio appeared, using his sand buster technique to shoot the man, catching his leg as he attempted to dodge. Tsking, Scorpio quickly tried again, as Lucy retrieved another key, pointing it forward as before, "Open, Gate of the lion, Loke."

As Loke appeared, he lunged forward, discharging a Regulus at the man, catching him in the chest.

The man fell back, recovering quickly. He cast a quick succession of spells at Lucy, some exploding and others creating a smoke screen. Loke swung his fist, attempting to clear the smoke.

"Lucy, are you alright?" He called.

Coughing, Lucy replied, "Yeah." She yelped as a spell hit her in the stomach, sending her rolling. She coughed hard, clearing her thoughts as the man went up to her menacingly.

He laughed at the girl before him, "I didn't want this to happen, but I have to take my revenge." He began to cast again, when a whip wrapped around his throat. Choking, he attempted to remove the lash. Glaring over his shoulder he saw Lucy standing next to Loke, holding the other end of the whip. Quickly glancing back at the Lucy in front of him, he gritted his teeth as the other Lucy stuck her tongue out at him.

A blast of sand hit the man full, knocking him unconscious. Loke ran over to his mistress, as the Lucy he was standing next to transformed back into Gemini. Scorpio and Gemini approached her as she was assisted to a standing position. She was clearly tired, but she looked proudly at the three spirits before her.

"Thank you," she said to them. Scorpio bowed before disappearing, and Gemini followed suit. Only Loke remained.

"Are you alright?" He asked again, his voice full of concern.

"Of course." Lucy nodded, "Although my clothes have seen better days."

Loke laughed quietly, "I'll ask Virgo to bring you something." He smiled at her, holding her hand carefully, inspecting the small injuries. Certain that there wasn't any major damage to his mistress, and hearing a set of worried footsteps, Loke bowed his head. "I'll return then, please be careful." He kissed her hand as he faded.

Lucy shook her head, "Always the gentleman, always the flirt." she muttered, as she turned to greet the approaching person. She expected it to be Natsu, but instead found it to be Laxus rushing to her.

(To be continued...)

Characters are not owned by me; All named characters are property of Hiro Mashima from his series, Fairy Tail.

This is meant to be a fan fiction, written by a fan (Shey), for entertainment purposes only.


	7. Chapter 7

He had taken his time with finding Lucy, not concerned with her being in danger. They were in the middle of a party, what kind of idiot would attack a lone girl this close to so many people?

He had obviously been wrong, as he heard the last fading sounds of struggle. How he had missed it, he didn't know, but he picked up his pace using his lightning to get him there as fast as he could. With worry plain on his face, he came around the corner just as Loke faded back into the Celestial World.

Laxus ran up to the smaller blonde who was giving him a small, but pained, smile. He grabbed her by the shoulders gently, now noticing the small cuts and bruises covering her body, as well as the torn dress.

"Are you alright? What happened?" he asked, extremely worried.

His concern over her made Lucy laugh quietly as she gestured to the prone form of the attacker. "I caught the guy who was after the client. But at the cost of my dress." She sighed, shaking her head lightly, "I liked this one too."

Sighing at the blonde before him, he hugged her close, "Don't do something that crazy. You should call for help if you get attacked." He buried his face in her hair, "Don't fight someone like that alone again."

"But, I wasn't alone," Lucy huffed, unsure how to act as Laxus wasn't being his normal scary self, "I had my spirits here to help me."

He shook his head gently, keeping his face in the blonde mass. He liked the smell of it, even if he wouldn't admit it to the others. There was a strong smell of strawberry to it, and something about that calmed him somewhat.

Lucy patted him on the back awkwardly, unsure what to do next. They stood there for a short time, until more footsteps alerted the pair that others had heard her fight and were arriving to see what the noise was about. Releasing the smaller blonde, Laxus stood protectively by her side as the first of the guests rounded the corner, followed immediately by the other two dragon slayers and the exceeds, as well as the client and his wife.

"What was all the commotion?" The client demanded as he approached the pair.

"We found the person who was threatening you." Lucy said as she fussed with her dress, "He tried to enthrall me with a spell and sneak in the party, and then attacked me when I didn't cooperate." She frowned as the tears swelled.

The client approached the unconscious man, inspecting his face before nodding in approval, "He's the owner of my company's rival, I should have thought him the culprit sooner." He looked up at the pair, "Good work you two, he's a genius businessman, and a formidable wizard as well."

Laxus grinned proudly, wrapping his arm around Lucy's waist, "It was all this one's work, she had already knocked him out by the time I got here."

Lucy looked at him, surprised. She had expected him to try and take some sort of credit for her victory. She blinked once, noticing his expectant glances, and silent push for her to speak up. "Oh!" She squeaked, "Yeah, it's no big deal." She said, glancing away in a slight embarrassment. "My friends did all the work really." She smiled as she gripped her keys

"No big deal!?" The client said, emphasizing his words, "No big deal would not be the way to describe this. You saved my event from disaster, that is a big deal. And for that you have my thanks." He bowed courtly, his wife, curtsying, said her thanks as well.

Lucy waved her hand, keeping her grip on her keys and torn dress. "It's quite alright, I'm just doing my job." She smiled at the couple, "But I would like to insist that we continue the party after the guards take him away."

"But of course!" The client shouted, sweeping his arm up quickly, He directed his attention to the crowd behind him, "Now that this debacle is over, let us all return to the ballroom and pick up the merriment where we had left it off, eh?"

A cheer rose in the crowd, and the guests were herded back into the large building the group had been in prior. Lucy smiled as she heard the familiar clank of metal heralding the arrival of the military. The group of wizards watched as they arrested the still unconscious man, dragging him into the nearby carriage. The guardsmen said their quiet thanks, having noticed that it was a Fairy Tail wizard who had taken care of the situation, with minimal damage to boot, and left with their prisoner.

Watching the carriage roll out of sight, Lucy shivered slightly, and a cool breeze touched her now bare arms. Before she could say anything, she felt a pair of coats drop on her shoulders. She glanced up at the dragon slayers who had been standing on either side of her, each now missing their overcoats. Natsu noticed that Laxus had had the same thought as him, but had beaten him to it by mere seconds. He quickly glared up at the taller man, who returned the glare with a small prideful grin. Lucy giggled at the pair, before she pulled the coats together on her small shoulders. Once she was sure that they would not slip off, she walked between the pair, heading in the direction of the ballroom. They watched her, confused, as she gathered her torn skirts, and motioned for them to follow.

"Well?" She asked, "We have a party to get to."

Grinning, Natsu jogged up to her, putting his arm over her shoulder and began congratulating her on her fight. Laxus caught up seconds later, and wrapped his arm around her waist, quickly jabbing Natsu in the ribs in the process. This earned him another glare. Wendy and the exceeds laughed quietly as they watched the trio, Carla huffing lightly at their cluelessness of their own feelings, following after their friends.

Shaking her head at the two dragon slayers, Lucy broke free from their loose grips, and quickened her pace so that she was a few steps in front of them when they approached the doors to the ballroom.

The client's wife was just inside, clearly awaiting the wizards. She smiled when she saw Lucy. She gracefully approached the celestial wizard, carefully taking her hands, "I must thank you for all you've done." She said, leading Lucy away. "I would like to give you a dress of mine to replace your damaged one." She smiled as Lucy's eyes widened.

"I couldn't!" She stammered, clearly flattered that such a high-standing individual would give her what she could only imagine to be a gorgeous gown.

"Nonsense! It's the least I could do, besides I couldn't ask for such a pretty young girl like yourself to dance in such tatters."

Lucy laughed a little as she realized how she must've looked. While she had little physical injuries, he dress took the brunt of the attacks and clearly showed the damage. "Thank you." She said quietly, continuing with the lady until they had arrived at a large room, filled to the brim with clothes of all sorts. A large dressing table with an equally large mirror sat on one side of the room, chock full of different kinds of make-up and jewelry.

"Wait one moment, I'll find something just perfect for you." the lady said as she excitedly went to the far side of the room shuffling through various dresses for a time before retrieving one and returning to the waiting blonde. Placing the dress in her arms, she gestured to a space that had a curtain surrounding it. "You can change in there. Let me know if you need help with it." She smiled. "I'll wait here for you."

Nodding, Lucy made her way across the room to the curtained area. Pushing aside the curtain she found a small couch. It wasn't tiny, but it was small compared to the rest of the furniture in the vast room, and was dwarfed by the large mirror that stood next to it. Placing the dress on the cushion, Lucy stripped off her destroyed dress, holding it up for a moment before placing it on the couch. She sighed at the tatters, "I really liked that dress too."

Returning her attention to the new dress, she inspected it for a moment before putting it on. It fit like a dream, and after taking in how it looked in the mirror, Lucy found that she quite liked the colour.

The dress was a deep blue, like the night sky, with a silver trim and a sheer overlay that appeared to have small diamonds attached along the edges. The skirt of it was split in the middle, so her legs were visible from the front, and swooped back, ending in a short train. It was also quite form fitting, showing much of her cleavage. Lucy blushed as she took in her appearance. "I can't go out there in this." She whispered to herself.

"Everything alright in there?" The lady called, "I'm sure it would fit you."

"J-just fine", Lucy stammered back "it's just, not what I expected.".

The lady huffed, unsure whether or not to be insulted by that comment. "Let me see it." She stated calmly.

Lucy sighed, as she turned around, tripping slightly on a large coat on the floor. Recalling the coats that Natsu and Laxus had lent her, she scooped them up, placing them on the couch with her dress, so she would return them to the pair later. She smiled as she thought of how kind they were to her, she had expected Natsu to care for her, although she didn't think he'd do something like give her his coat without prompting, but she hadn't expected Laxus to do that as well. She was really wondering just what kind of man he was, since prior to the mission, all she had seen of him was his tough exterior and occasional relaxed attitude around Mira and the others. Thinking of Laxus brought back the memory of their earlier conversation, causing Lucy to blush as she thought about how stupid she must have sounded when she asked Natsu how he felt.

"Are you coming?" The lady asked, a hint of excitement in her voice. She clearly wished to see the dress on her new 'friend'.

"Yes. Yes I am," Lucy shook herself out of her thoughts, and exited the curtained room.

"Oh! It looks marvelous!" The lady practically cheered at her choice. She approached the clearly distraught blonde, inspecting how the dress fit. Nodding in approval, she returned to standing in front of the younger girl. "Perfect." she murmured.

"Is it supposed to show this much..." Lucy gestured to her breasts.

The lady nodded in confirmation, before summoning a young maid to retrieve the ruined dress. "Take that to be repaired, and return those coats to the two men that came with her." The maid nodded politely before scurrying off with the clothes. The lady smiled at Lucy, before leading her to the dressing table. Retrieving a pair of sheer stockings and handing them to the blonde, she continued to go through various pieces of jewelry before she found a necklace and a pair of earrings that suited her tastes. "Wear this with that dress, it will be perfect." The lady pursed her lips at the thought.

"Thank you, Ma'am." Lucy replied as she finished putting on the stockings and took the jewelry. "I must say, you are quite adept at fashion."

"But of course!" She said proudly, "I take pride in how I look as well as those I call my friends."

"Are you saying I'm your friend?" Lucy asked sweetly.

The lady laughed, "But of course, you have done much to earn my trust, the least I could do is call you a friend." She smiled at the younger girl.

Lucy returned with a warm smile, as she finished with the jewelry. Her make-up suited the dress just fine, so she hadn't needed to change that, and she insisted that she had someone who would take care of her hair.

Not fully believing the girl, the lady nodded. Lucy retrieved her keys, and summoned Cancer, asking him to fix her hair into a formal style to match the dress.

"Of course, baby." Cancer answered as he trimmed and styled her hair quickly. "How is that?"

"Perfect, thank you so much Cancer." Lucy smiled at the spirit as he faded back to the Celestial World.

The lady was stunned at this, looking at the blonde in awe. Pulling herself from her wonder, she smiled as Lucy stood up. "Now that you're back to perfect dress attire, I would like to ask you to do something for me when we return to the ballroom."

"What's that?" Lucy asked as she fixed her dress.

"I will be having the band play a tango and would like you and your boyfriend to dance alongside us for the start of the dance."

Lucy gasped at the honor she was given, to dance alongside the host of such an important gathering is like a. She paused, "Did you say boyfriend?"

(To be continued...)

Characters are not owned by me; All named characters are property of Hiro Mashima from his series, Fairy Tail.

This is meant to be a fan fiction, written by a fan (Shey), for entertainment purposes only.


	8. Chapter 8

The small maid had quietly made her way to the small gathering of wizards near the buffet table, where Natsu was currently stuffing his face. Wendy greeted the woman warmly, as she was the first to notice her presence. She smiled lightly at the group of dragon slayers, and courtly handed the coats to Laxus, since he was currently not preoccupied by anything. The maid then curtsied before hurrying off, and exited the ballroom.

"Quite the busy one, isn't she." Wendy said cheerfully. She eyed the tall blonde near her, as he tossed one of the coats to Natsu who had paused his eating.

Pulling on his own coat, Laxus nodded, "She must've helped Blondie with," He waved his hand in a noncommittal manner, "whatever those two ladies are doing up there."

"You mean getting non ripped clothes?" Wendy asked.

"Yeah, that." Laxus looked away, clearly not interested in the way the conversation was going. What did he care what she wore, she looked stunning in everything. He shook his head to clear his thoughts, startling Wendy slightly.

Natsu laughed at him, somehow knowing just what Laxus was picturing. "Yeah, I don't get the big deal about her wearing that other dress either, but you know how she is."

Wendy nodded in agreement, completely aware on how concerned Lucy could get about her looks. It's not that Wendy didn't care, but she didn't focus on it as much as her friend did.

Their small conversation ended as the doorway where the client and his wife had entered the ballroom from hours prior slid open. The client's wife was the first to emerge, making her way quickly to her husband's side. She whispered something into his ear, which caused him to widen his eyes and a small grin spread across his face. He nodded to his wife, as she returned to the door and ushered through a clearly embarrassed Lucy.

Upon seeing Lucy in the new dress, both Laxus and Natsu's jaws dropped, Natsu dropping a piece of food that had nearly made its way to his open mouth. Wendy clapped in joy as Lucy made her way to the group. She was blushing as she went up to Laxus, and took his hand.

She led the speechless man to the dance floor, whispering to him as they walked, "The missus asked me to dance with my 'boyfriend' alongside her and her husband for the next song."

"Why did you take me then?" Laxus asked quietly, not entirely sure on their relationship. He was pretty sure that she didn't have a boyfriend, especially with how protective Natsu was of her, but he thought she would've chosen the flame brain since they were partners and all.

"It's a tango." She replied flatly.

"Ah." Of course she would choose him then, Natsu could barely dance, it was doubtful he could manage a tango. "Wait, tango?" He asked as they approached the client and his wife.

"Yes yes!" The lady cheered, "We love the tango, and since you helped us so much, we decided that you should join us for the start of the dance. Didn't we dear?" The husband nodded, smiling. He didn't say anything, but he didn't seem to mind his wife's idea. She whispered in his ear, "Aren't they cute, it's like how we were when we were their age."

Lucy didn't hear her comment to her husband, but Laxus did. He smiled proudly that they thought the two blondes were so close. He had hinted at his feelings for the smaller blonde a few times during the course of the mission, but it still wasn't clear to him whether or not they were reciprocated.

Lucy made no sign of how she felt, aside for asking Natsu how he felt about her. For all Laxus knew, Lucy had no clue as to where his heart lay. For the record, neither had he until just the other day. Sure she was attractive, and he had joked about making her his woman, but when he saw her running from the drunks the night prior, he could feel his heart skip a beat when he saw the fear in her eyes. He wanted to protect her, not that she really needed it, he had seen how she could fight, but something about her made the dragon slayer want to be by her side, wherever she went.

The music started, and both pairs of dancers stood ready, Laxus still running his worries through his mind. How did he feel about her? He had brought up the topic of the celestial wizard with Mira after the Grand Magic Games, asking her various things about the young blonde. Mira had giggled at his questions, answering them to the best of her knowledge. He had asked everything, from how many keys she had, to how many boyfriends. Although the last was a question he regretted asking the takeover mage. Mira had widened her eyes, then quickly narrowed them in a devilish manner befitting her magic. She had giggled evilly as she told him how Lucy had never dated. That had surprised him, such a pretty girl, and yet she never went on a date. He had gasped quietly as he realized that meant she was about as pure as they come. He had leaned on the bar, asking Mira more questions, ignoring the look he got from the Thunder God Tribe.

Had she kissed anyone? He had asked, Mira merely shrugged at him, saying she had no idea. Laxus relaxed on the bar stool, he stopped his incessant questions, apologizing awkwardly to Mira for his strange actions. The white haired girl merely smiled at him, leaning on her elbows and pointed playfully at the blonde. 'That's how people get when they fall in love with someone.' she had said.

Then a few weeks later he had run into Lucy on the street, and had helped her, which lead to his current position.

Love, he mused as the pair of blondes danced in perfect unison, even with his constant thought he still hadn't been distracted from the dance. If that's what he felt, he knew that he had to let her know. He was sure Natsu felt something for the celestial wizard, since he would sneak into her house constantly. But he figured the fire wizard's heart likely lay with the youngest of the Strauss siblings who had returned to the guild after years of being thought dead. But even then he wasn't entirely sure.

The dance neared its end, and Laxus prepared himself for what he'd do next. He thought back to his conversation with Mira, and assured himself that he was ready to tell her. It still made him nervous, which he berated himself over, he was the strongest in the guild, he wasn't scared to face anything in battle, so why would someone so great get nervous with something so small?

The dance ended, the music shifting to something else, classical, with a faster beat. The pairs bowed to the clapping crowd, but before Lucy could leave the dance floor, Laxus had swept her into a soft hug. He held her face, leaning in. Lucy blushed fiercely, as she looked in his eyes.

"I." He stopped, their noses were pretty much touching, and Laxus could feel the glare from Natsu burning into his back. "I love you." He said quietly, closing the distance between them, and kissing her full on the lips.

Lucy's eyes widened, but she didn't push away. A cheer went up in the crowd, and various "awww"s could be heard from the onlookers. After a short time the pair separated, a large smile on Laxus' face, and a timid embarrassed one on Lucy's.

"I." She began, but Laxus cut her off.

"You don't have to reply. Think about it." He said confidently before making his way across the room. He exited the ballroom, likely going outside to get some fresh air. Natsu followed after him, rage on his face and a faint aura of fire washing over his body.

Wendy raced up to the bewildered Lucy who was now receiving congratulations from various guests. A soft slap on the back with a small smile came from the client's wife as the pair made their way to the buffet table.

Wendy smiled up at Lucy, "I had no idea he felt that way about you!" She cheered.

Lucy shook her head, still surprised by it, "Neither did I." She looked at the door, "I hope Natsu doesn't do something stupid because of that. I have a bad feeling he will."

Wendy followed her gaze, her smile faltering slightly."I don't know." She said. The pair hoped that he wouldn't do something, but their attention was once again pulled to the surrounding crowd of people, as well as Happy and Carla who flew over, likely to tease the blushing blonde.

(To be continued...)

~I have to thank you all for such wonderful reviews! You guys are motivating me to give this my all. Thank you all so much!

Characters are not owned by me; All named characters are property of Hiro Mashima from his series, Fairy Tail.

This is meant to be a fan fiction, written by a fan (Shey), for entertainment purposes only.


	9. Chapter 9

"Laxus! What the hell was that?" Natsu shouted.

Laxus looked at him confused, he had been outside for no more than a few minutes before this idiot started shouting at him. Sure, he wasn't sure that was the best way to tell the girl, but it was the best idea he had at the time. "I just kissed her, it's no big deal. I've done it before y'know."

Natsu balled his fists, "Not that." He growled, "Saying you love her. I thought you had a thing for Mira, not Lucy."

"Mira's with Freed." Laxus replied blankly.

Natsu widened his eyes, clearly having missed that couple, he shook his fist at the older dragon slayer. "Still, why Lucy?"

"Because you're too slow?" Laxus said, leaning against the railing."And because that's how I really feel." He looked away, taking in the night air and enjoying to cool breeze for the third time that night, "Are you saying that I can't like someone?"

"That's not it," Natsu shook his head, not sure how to respond.

"Besides you like Lisanna don't you? Or not?"

Natsu looked at the older man, clearly not thinking of it prior. "I love both of them. Both Lucy and Lisanna. They're my family."

Laxus shook his head, "I don't mean familial love, Natsu. I mean like love - love. Like I can picture having children with her. That kind of love."

"That kind of love?" Natsu looked down, his rage had subsided much, since he was distracted by a different kind of thought. "I haven't thought of that before."

Laxus nodded, "That's cause you're young. You'll understand when you're my age."

"Don't act like you're so much older than me!" Natsu stomped his foot in anger, earning a laugh from the blonde.

"What do you plan to do now?" Laxus asked, his voice steady and clear of the jovial sound it had moments prior. "I've made my motives clear to her, isn't about time you did too?"

Natsu looked at him confused, the thoughts running through his head. How did he feel about her? They were inseparable for the past few years, and he didn't even want to think of what it would be like if Lucy left the guild. But love?

Laxus shook his head at Natsu, who was clearly at a conflict with himself. He wasn't sure if it was a good idea to push Natsu to realize how he felt about the blonde, he didn't really want competition, but they were guild mates, and part of the Fairy Tail family. It was only fair.

"Is there anyone else?" Natsu asked suddenly.

Laxus cocked an eyebrow, "Anyone else, what?"

"That is in love with her. Is there anyone other than us."

Snorting a laugh, Laxus shook his head, "Not that I know of. Bixlow makes comments about her time to time, but nothing specific. That Sting guy was watching her a lot after the grand magic games, but she was with that other chick too, so..." He stopped himself, not too thrilled to be having a conversation like this. He never really talked to anyone about who liked who, and didn't want to continue to do so, especially considering the 'who' it was about.

After a period of awkward silence Natsu asked, "That's it?"

Laxus shook his head, irritation in his voice, "I don't care is all."

"I thought Gray liked her." Natsu spoke quietly, "That creepy copy of him from way back said something like that."

"Creepy copy?"

"What about Gajeel?" Natsu shook his head, "Nah, he's always hanging around Levy. Elfman?" He stuck out his tongue, "Nah."

Laxus narrowed his eyes at the younger man, annoyed that he didn't receive and answer. "What does it matter if there's others?"

Natsu looked at him confused, "You just said it did. Didn't you want them to have a chance too?"

"Hell no." Laxus huffed, removing himself from the balcony, "The less competition the better. Less stress for us all." He started walking back towards the ballroom, the chill or the conversation finally getting to him.

"Wait! So I'm not competition to you?" Natsu asked awkwardly.

"Hah, I don't care what you do. I just figured you were her partner and it'd be awkward hearing about you from her everyday if I didn't at least give you a chance to man up and say something." Laxus answered nonchalantly. He really wanted to stop talking and just leave. He knew Natsu would take that wrong and see it as an invitation for a fight. Hopefully he wouldn't try to start anything until they got back to the guild tomorrow.

Apparently he wasn't so lucky, as Natsu jumped to his feet and started shouting, "Then let's fight!" His fist caught on fire, "You and me, and the winner will get to tell Lucy how they REALLY feel."

Laxus looked at him dumbfounded, "What's the point, I just said something not even a half hour ago."

"Fine. Then, loser has to announce it to the guild when we get back." Natsu grinned, proud that he had something to use against the lightning dragon slayer.

"Fine," Laxus gritted his teeth. While he could care less whether or not people knew he was with her, confessions of love in front of the guild was NOT something he wanted to do. He could already picture Mira and Freed's faces if he announced it. He didn't even want to think of the pure joy that would be on his gramp's face once he heard that his grandson had a thing for the 'cutie' of the guild.

Fire licked the ground and lightning crackled in the air as the pair of dragon slayers prepared to fight. Shifting his weight, Natsu lunged forward, swinging his fist. Laxus dodged, countering with a quick jab to the side and a drop kick sending the fire wizard crashing to the ground. Rolling to his feet, Natsu inhaled deeply before shouting out a Fire Dragon Roar. Laxus dodged to the side, singeing his coat slightly in the process. Prepping his next attack, Natsu lunged toward the blonde once more, using his fire to accelerate. He brought his hands up, ready to punch, Laxus already set to guard. A scream caught Laxus' attention, as he looked away from the charging dragon slayer at a fuming Lucy. Natsu punch Laxus in the face, sending the blonde back a few steps.

"What is wrong with you two!" Lucy screeched. "We are on a mission and you guys are fighting each other?!"

The pair looked at her, stunned into immobility. They didn't know what to say.

"I can't believe this! I thought that with Laxus coming along we might actually finish a mission without someone breaking something. Obviously I was wrong!" She said, quieter now, but anger still plain in her voice. She gestured to the balcony that Laxus had been leaning on prior, which was now scorched and cracked, a large chuck missing from the railing.

Lucy turned to face the client who was shaking his head at the sight, his wife laughing lightly next to him. "I'm so sorry for this sir," She said, bowing low, "I understand if you are angry with us."

"Not at all, it was a nice bit of entertainment, albeit a short bit." He replied, the commanding sound to his voice calm and cool. "We have been discussing on whether or not to get this section remodeled anyway, this just confirmed it as the correct pick."

Lucy looked at him, wonder in her eyes, "So we aren't in trouble?"

"Not at all," The client's wife answered cheerfully, "We have to thank you again for all this, and give you a congratulations on a job well done." She continued, confirming the end of the mission, and giving Lucy a friendly pat on the shoulder.

Nodding, Lucy smiled at the pair, thanking them again for their request, before turning her attention back to the still stunned dragon slayers who were now standing waiting for what she would do next.

"Now you two..." She practically growled at them, her aggravation at the pair still clear even though they had been given the okay.

"Lucy." Natsu spoke up, his face flushing slightly, "I have to tell you something."

"No." Lucy replied angrily. She didn't want to hear anything right now, she had almost lost out on her pay, and that meant she almost lost her rent for the month. While she was thrilled the mission was sucessful, she was still annoyed at the fact that they had almost caused major destruction again. And the mission wasn't even that difficult.

"You two need to stop fighting now. We're going back to the guild tomorrow and you can do whatever you want then, but until then you will get along." Lucy said, her voice full of irritation and sounding as threatening as Erza. "Understand?"

"Aye, sir!" Natsu answered, slinging his arm over Laxus' shoulder in a manner similar to how he and Gray act when Erza is around. Unlike Gray, who would have mimicked the motion, Laxus merely elbowed the other man in the side, muttering a 'get off me' in the process. "What are you doing Laxus? Don't make her get more upset."

"It doesn't matter, as long as you two aren't fighting right now." Lucy replied blankly. She turned, bid the client farewell and thanked them for everything then left for the hotel. Wendy followed, with the Carla flying next to her. Natsu gulped, and trailed after, with Laxus bringing up the rear.

Happy landed on Laxus' head, not caring a bit for who he decided to settle on. Laxus grumbled in response. He was going to pull the blue cat off, but decided not to bother for the moment. He had more important things to worry about.

Watching Lucy, Laxus marveled at how threatening she could be if she tried. He had never seen her like this, and had always pictured her as the type to cry when she was frustrated or angry. He had never had anyone other than Mira startle him into silence before, and really wondered how she managed this. He shook his head as he picked up his pace. Happy mumbled sleepily, which annoyed Laxus. He couldn't believe this thing would fall asleep on his head, didn't he know who he landed on? Reaching up Laxus poked at the sleeping cat, feigning an attempt at removing him. Dropping his arm back down, he wondered just when he started to become such a softie. He could of easily have just sent a short jolt of lightning to punt the cat off.

To be continued...)

~Sorry for the delayed update! so much to do lately with work and such that I didn't get around to posting it when I meant to a couple days ago. I know that the fight was a tad short, but I'll make it up to you with a longer fight later. Hope you all enjoyed this part!

Characters are not owned by me; All named characters are property of Hiro Mashima from his series, Fairy Tail.

This is meant to be a fan fiction, written by a fan (Shey), for entertainment purposes only.


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